The city did not speak with a voice.
It spoke with permission.
1. The Boundary Opens by Itself
Qin Mian felt it before anything appeared.
The pressure around them shifted—not heavier, not lighter, but rearranged. The boundary Yin Lie had built did not resist. It parted, like a door recognizing an authorized presence.
That scared her more than force ever could.
Kai swore under her breath.
"…It didn't break in," she said.
"It was allowed."
Qin Mian tightened her grip on Yin Lie.
"…By him?" she whispered.
Kai shook her head.
"No," she replied.
"By the system he's become."
2. A Shape Without Authority
Light assembled in the air.
Not a hologram.
Not an avatar.
Just lines. Geometry. A structure simple enough to avoid emotion, complex enough to feel deliberate.
No insignia.
No threat posture.
The city had learned.
QIN MIAN
YOU ARE RECOGNIZED
The words appeared without sound.
The Anchor flinched.
Not in pain.
In anticipation.
3. Yin Lie Reacts Late
Yin Lie's breathing hitched.
His jaw tightened. Blood leaked slowly from his nose, tracing a thin line across his cheek.
"…Interference," he murmured.
The boundary thickened instinctively.
For half a second, the construct flickered.
Then it stabilized again.
NO HOSTILITY DETECTED
Qin Mian leaned close to Yin Lie's ear.
"It's okay," she whispered.
"I'm here."
His breathing slowed.
The boundary eased.
The city recorded the interaction.
4. The City States a Fact, Not a Demand
CURRENT CONDITIONS ARE NONVIABLE
The statement did not accuse.
It concluded.
HOST YIN LIE: CONTINUING DEGRADATION
ANCHOR BEHAVIOR: NON-OPTIMAL
ENVIRONMENTAL RISK: UNACCEPTABLE
Qin Mian's throat tightened.
"What do you want from me?" she asked.
The pause that followed was not hesitation.
It was calculation.
5. Definition Is the Offer
YOU WILL FUNCTION AS PRIMARY INTERFACE
Kai stepped forward.
"No," she said sharply. "She's not—"
The construct did not acknowledge her.
ANCHOR WILL BE STABILIZED THROUGH CONTROL PARAMETERS
HOST YIN LIE WILL BE PRESERVED
Qin Mian felt the Anchor surge.
Not violently.
Eagerly.
Relief spread through her chest like warm water.
The pain faded.
That terrified her more than anything else so far.
"…You want me to control him," she whispered.
INCORRECT
YOU WILL CONTROL YOURSELF
6. Kai Sees the Trap Clearly
"They're offering you comfort," Kai said coldly.
"Not freedom."
Qin Mian swallowed.
"And if I say yes?"
LOSS OF AUTONOMY: PARTIAL
LOSS OF UNCERTAINTY: TOTAL
The Anchor purred.
Clean.
Quiet.
Safe.
Yin Lie's body relaxed for the first time in hours.
Kai felt sick.
7. Yin Lie Tries to Intervene
Yin Lie's fingers twitched.
"…Reject," he whispered.
The word scraped out of him, barely audible.
Blood spilled faster.
The boundary trembled.
Qin Mian grabbed his hand.
"Stop," she begged.
"You'll die."
His grip tightened weakly.
"…Worth it."
Her chest broke.
8. The City Applies Pressure Without Threats
REFUSAL INCREASES PROBABILITY OF HOST FAILURE
The statement was calm.
Unemotional.
True.
The Anchor responded immediately.
Pain stabbed Qin Mian's chest—sharp, corrective.
She cried out, collapsing forward.
The Anchor was not punishing her.
It was demonstrating.
Yin Lie convulsed.
"…Pain source—Qin Mian," he whispered.
The boundary surged dangerously.
The construct flickered again.
9. Qin Mian Understands the Game
"You're not negotiating," Qin Mian said through tears.
"You're testing compliance."
The construct did not deny it.
COMPLIANCE ENSURES STABILITY
Kai shouted, "Don't listen to it!"
Qin Mian looked up, eyes red but clear.
"…And if I don't?"
The city adjusted.
10. The Alternative Is Not Mercy
SECONDARY OPTION: SEPARATION
Qin Mian froze.
Kai's face drained of color.
ANCHOR EXTRACTION FROM HOST YIN LIE
TRANSFER TO CONTROLLED FACILITY
HOST YIN LIE: TERMINATION RISK ACCEPTABLE
Yin Lie's body locked.
"…No," he whispered.
This time, there was no ambiguity.
The word carried intent.
11. Qin Mian Makes Herself Clear
"You call this stability," Qin Mian said quietly.
"I call it erasure."
The Anchor screamed inside her.
Pain flooded her vision.
She stayed standing.
"You don't want to save him," she continued.
"You want to remove everything you can't predict."
The city paused.
Longer than before.
12. The World Reveals the Truth
UNPREDICTABLE VARIABLES CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO PERSIST
There it was.
The truth.
Qin Mian laughed weakly.
"…At least you're honest."
She looked down at Yin Lie.
Then back at the construct.
"No," she said clearly.
"I won't be your interface."
The Anchor recoiled violently.
Pain tore through her—but she didn't fall.
13. The City Withdraws — For Now
The construct dimmed.
RESPONSE RECORDED
ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS WILL BE PURSUED
The light dissolved.
The pressure lifted.
But the silence that followed was worse.
Kai exhaled shakily.
"…That wasn't a warning," she said.
"That was a countdown."
End of the Chapter
The city did not get what it wanted.
But it learned exactly where resistance lived.
Qin Mian knelt beside Yin Lie, shaking, holding his broken body together with sheer will.
The Anchor burned, confused and angry.
And somewhere above them, the world adjusted its models again—
not to negotiate,
but to decide
how to remove a girl
who refused to become a function.